Bag with tote handle

ABSTRACT

A plastic tote handle supports a gusset bottom bag and includes two bails, each of which is molded in one-piece with a horizontal bag-supporting bar. The bars are heat sealed along their lengths to the full widths of the inner surfaces of front and back plastic film bag-forming panels adjacent the upper edges thereof. The bars include integral vertical &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;living hinges&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; near their opposite ends so that the end portions thereof may be readily bent to positions roughly perpendicular to the bars. Thereby, as the bag is filled, the marginal side edges of the front and back bag panels will move apart at their upper portions and will bend to conform to the perpendicular positions of said strip portions, thus forming well-defined square sidewalls for the bag.

Unite States atent [72] Inventor Robert L. Hart Manhasset Hills, NY.

[2]] App]. No. 856,306

{22] Filed Sept. 9, 1969 [45] Patented Feb. 2, 1971 [73] Assignee W.R. Grace 8: Co.

a corporation of Connecticut. by mesne assignments [54] BAG WITH TOTE HANDLE 11 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,405.310 8/1946 Larkin 229/52-A 3,310,224 3/1967 Lagverre 3.363.827 1/1968 Renneretal.

ABSTRACT: A plastic tote handle supports a gusset bottom bag and includes two bails. each of which is molded in one piece with a horizontal bagsupporting bar. The bars are heat sealed along their lengths to the full widths of the inner surfaces of front and back plastic film bag-forming panels adjacent the upper edges thereof. The bars include integral vertical living hinges" near their opposite ends so that the end portions thereof may be readily bent to positions roughly perpendicular to the bars. Thereby, as the bag is filled, the mar ginal side edges of the front and back bag panels will move apart at their upper portions and will bend to conform to the perpendicular positions of said strip portions, thus forming well-defined square sidewalls for the bag.

PATENTED FEB 2 IBYI INVENTOR ROBERT L. HART FIG. 5

ATTORNEYS BAG WITH TOTE HANDLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention Plastic tote bags 2. Description of the Prior Art Flat bags formed of two registered sheets with their sides joined at the sides of the bag have been used heretofore with conventional tote handles or hand grips. These bags are unattractive when filled because, although their bottoms expand and tend to square off at the sides when the bags are filled, their mouths tend to close, since the plastic handle bars remain close together so that the sides of the bags are wide at the bottom and narrow at the top. This unsightly appearance is aggravated when the bag has a self-squaring bottom such as a gusset bottom.

One widely used conventional gusset bottom tote bag constituted registered plastic film panels having plastic tote handles. The handles were inverted U-shaped bails, each which was joined to a different horizontal plastic bar. Each bar was secured to a different panel adjacent the mouth of the bag. The bails were often formed with detachable interengaging coupling means such as pins and sockets providing access to, or closing, the open mouth of the bag.

Usually, the ends of the bars extended to the side edges of the panels in order to prevent the sides of the mouth from sagging. However. as just observed, these bags tended to prevent the sides of the mouth from spreading, with an ensuing unpleasing configuration, regardless of whether or not the bars extended to the side edges of the panels. In another type of bag, where the bars stopped well short of the ends, the sides of the mouth likewise tended to sag.

One solution to the problem of providing squared sidewalls in a gusset bottom bag was the inclusion of a gusset, usually infolded when the bag was empty, along each side edge of the panels forming the bag. Thus, the squared sidewalls would be formed as the gussets were opened. The sidewall gussets were opened by placing ones hand into the bag and separating the panels adjacent their side edges. With heavy kraft paper bags, the side gussets have been optionally opened by opening the mouth and snapping the bag to catch a quantity of air within the bag.

But gusset side walls were undesirably costly due to the additional material required for the gussets at the sidewalls and the extra time and equipment needed to form the side gussets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a square bottom, e.g. gusset bottom, bag of the foregoing general character which is so constructed that it is not subject to any of the mentioned disadvantages.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bag of the character described which is simple and rugged in construction, but more attractive in appearance when filled. and which can be easily fabricated by mass production methods at an appreciably lower cost than prior bags designed to serve the same function.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bag of the character described which will automatically from substantially squared-off sides when articles are placed within the bag.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bag of the general character described wherein the top edges adjacent the mouth of the bag are joined to a suspension carrying means which causes portions of the panels to form squared-off sidewalls of varying widths so that the shape of the bag may be varied.

Moreover, another object of the present invention is to provide a bag of the character described having carrying handles, wherein the carrying handles include'bendable bag suspending means which permit the front and back panels of the bag to form substantially squared-off sidewalls.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a plastic carrying bag of the general character described wherein the bag may be folded to lie flat for storage, yet may be opened to include squared off sidewalls without the necessity of forming the bag with gusseted sidewalls.

Other objects of the invention in part will be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly constitutes the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the bag hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the gusset bottom bag embodying the present invention, said bag being shown in the configuration it assumes when filled with a plurality of articles that have spread the front and rear panels apart, and also being shown with bail handlebars bent at hinges to form squared-off sidewalls for the bag;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the gusset bottom bag when empty and illustrating a handlebar before bending, i.e. with the full length of the bar in a straight line.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and illustrating the front and back bag panels, the gusset bottom and the bail handles;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged auxiliary view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 and illustrating a heat-sealed seam which joins the side edges of the panels and gusset;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the bag in open condition and illustrating the bail handlebars which are bent at their unitary hinges so as to form squared-off sidewalls for the bag; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary interior view of a squared off bottom corner of the bag, the same being taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The fiat-when-empty bag of the present invention is essentially characterized by a structure such that the two registered panels which form the bag may be easily bent, indeed practically automatically bent, to form defined, i.e. squared-off sidewalls for the bag as the articles are placed within the bag.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 denotes a gusset bottom bag constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention. Said bag is formed of front 12 and rear 14 plastic film panels. The two panels are registered and joined as by a heat seal 16 along the common right 15 and left 17 side edges. Either one of the side edges may alternately constitute a simple fold. A bag of this type, which is one in which the panels abut one another across their full width, except at the bottom, is herein referred to as a flat bag to distinguish the same from a bag with infolded gusset sidewalls that separate the panels when the bag is empty.

The bottom of the bag is in the form of a gusset l8 constituting an extension of one or both panels and includes an upwardly extending V-fold (see FIG. 3). The ends of the bottom edges 19, 21 of the panels 12, 14 are sealed into and with the side edges of the gusset, so that the gusset 18 is closed at its two sides but is free to open and form an essentially square bottom between the sides of the bag. The bag may be constructed with heat sealed seams along the bottom edges of the gusset, i.e. the bottom edges 19, 21 of the panels 12, 14. Preferably, however, it is formed from a single elongate plastic sheet film which is folded to form the apex 20 and thence folded equidistant from the apex 20 along fold lines forming bottom edges 19, 21 of the panels. The remaining portions of the plastic film in this construction would be registered to form the front 12 and rear 14 panels. Subsequently, the heat seals 16 would be used to join the front and rear panels along the registered right and left 17 side edges. As shown in FIG. 4 the heat seal 16 extends downwardly to the bottom bag edges 21, 19 of the panels and thus would join the ends of the plies forming the gusset.

It can be seen that as articles are inserted in the bag, the panels 12, 14 will separate and the gusset 18 will open and form a substantially flat squared-off bottom wall for the bag, i.e. square to the front and back panels. Thus, the apex 20 of the gusset 18 will lie in substantially the same horizontal plane as the side edges of the gusset, i.e. the bottom edges 19, 21 of the panels 12 and 14.

There is a natural tendency for the sides of the bag thus structured to be pointed at the bag mouth rather than to be attractively squared off when the bag is opened and filled, particularly partially filled. This is because there are no fold lines defining the corners of sidewalls at or adjacent the side edges 15, 17 of the front and rear panels.

However, the present invention includes an arrangement that encourages the formation of attractive well-defined sidewalls (as illustrated in FIG. 1) which are approximately perpendicular to the front 12 and back 14 panels and to the bottom wall of an opened bag, i.e. squaredoff sidewalls. Thus, by use of the invention, a greater volume of articles may be comfortably placed within the bag and the bag assumes a much neater appearance.

A pair of tote handles 22 is provided to serve the conventional function of carrying the bag and also serve the further function of squaring off the sidewalls. The tote handles 22 are formed of a suitable synthetic thermoplastic material that is compatible with the thermoplastic film material of which the panels are formed. This compatibility will permit the tote handles to be joined to the plastic film adjacent the upper edges of each panel, i.e. the mouth of the bag, by a heat seal. Suitable plastics of which the tote handles and bag panels may be formed are polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride.

Each tote handle is composed of a hand grip bail 24 of inverted U-shape, the lower legs 26 of which are substantially vertical and spaced apart a distance greater than the width of a persons hand so that the bail may be easily gripped at its horizontal reach. The lower ends of each pair of legs 26 are molded in one piece with a different horizontal bar 28 which extends laterally beyond the legs in opposite directions. The horizontal bars are of a length approximately equal to the width of the panels 12, 14 and each includes a substantially planar vertical surface 29 against which the associated panel is heat welded. The vertical surface 29 may be roughened to include a plurality of raised portions to facilitate the heat welding as described in detail in copending application Ser. No. 825,021 filed May 15, 1969. The handles are mutually registered so that both can be gripped by one hand of the user.

To assemble the bag, each of the tote handles 22 is placed so that the affiliated horizontal bar 28 lies partially within and between the two plastic film panels 12, 14 and in a marginal zone extending adjacent the upper edge of each panel. The vertical surfaces 29 are in abutting contact with the interior surfaces of the panels at the marginal zones. Subsequently, the panels 12, 14 are heat sealed to the horizontal bars 28 along the vertical surfaces 29. Thus, the bag may be carried by the bails which evenly support the depending panels by the heat welds between the panels and the horizontal bars 28. Because the bars 28 extend along the entire width of each panel, and the heat weld extends along the length of the horizontal bars, any load carried by the bag will be evenly supported by the horizontal bars 28.

In accordance with the instant invention a plurality of vertical living hinges" 30 are formed near the opposite ends of each bar. The hinges 30 are molded with the bars and divide portions of the bar 28 adjacent the ends into segments 32. Each segment 32 can swing in a horizontal plane, i.e. the plane of the bar, about a vertical hinge 30 at the end of the segment distant from the end of the bar. The segments 32 include portions of the vertical surface 29'which are heat sealed to portions of the panels. Thus, when the segments 32 are swung to lie perpendicular to the plane of the bar 28, the portions of the bag panels which are suspended from the segments 32 will similarly bend to form a squared-ofi sidewall for the bag 10.

The living hinges 30 are formed during molding by substantially decreasing the thickness of the bar 28 in the areas of the hinges and by using an elastometer such as mentioned above for the material of the bar. Thus, portions of the strip 28 which are divided between the living hinges 30 will bend and flex about the vertical axes of the hinges. The lengths of the segments 32, i.e. the spacing between hinges 30, is such that the width of the squared-off sidewalls formed will be approximately equal to the width of the squared off bottom of the bag.

By employing multiple (more than one) spaced hinges 30, as shown, adjacent each end 34 of the horizontal bar 28, a variety of sidewall widths may be obtained. In fact, the bag thereby becomes adjustable to increase the width of the side walls thereof as articles are placed within the bag. This is accomplished by first bending the opposite segments 32 along hinges 30 which are closest to the ends 34 toward each other. The total width of the sidewalls of the bag thus formed will be the width of two segments 32, i.e. one segment on each bar. If, during the shopping day more articles are placed in the bag, additional segments may be subsequently bent along the hinges 30. The subsequent segments are next inward from the hinges previously bent. Thus, the total width of the bag sidewall will be the length of four segments 32. This structure is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5. It should be noted that when additional segments 32 are bent, the first bent hinges 30 should be straightened to maintain substantially flat sidewalls.

The spacing between hinges 30 and the total number of hinges may be varied to provide a number of sidewall width adjustments, or if the width of the sidewalls are not to be varied, the bars 28 would have but a single hinge 30 adjacent each end 34 thereof. When each bar segment 32 is bent, it should again be noted that the portion of the film panel which is heat sealed thereto will conformingly bend to thus form the squared-off sidewalls.

Thus, it will be seen that there is provided a bag which achieves the various objects of the invention and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the present invention and as various changes might be made in the bag above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A flat carry bag comprising coextensive front and back panels with side edges directly interconnected at the sides of the bag so that the bag, when empty, may have said panels in face-to-face contact across the full width and for substantially the full length of the bag, said panels being formed of sheets of flexible synthetic plastic film, means interconnecting the bottom edges of said panels, said bag further including tote handle means for suspending the panels in an elevated position when carrying the bag, said tote handle means including an inverted bail and asubstantially horizontal bar, said bar being formed of plastic material, the bar being of a length approximating the full width of one panel, the bail being centrally positioned along the bar, the bar being connected to one of the panels adjacent the upper edge thereof, the bar further including means for forming defined sidewalls for the bag when the bag is opened and the panels are suspended, said means when actuated causing side portions of the one pa'nel adjacent the side edges thereof to extend in a direction transverse to the remainder of the one panel to thus form the defined sidewalls, said sidewall forming means including hinges on the bar, said hinges being pivoted about vertical axes, the hinges being spaced inwardly from the ends of the bar, the hinges dividing the bar in to minor segments, said segments being positioned between the ends of the bar and the hinges, side portions of the one panel adjacent the upper edge thereof being connected to the segments, the segments and panel portions being positionable transverse to the major length of the bar by pivoting the segments about the hinges, whereby the segments serve to bend portions of the one panel to form the defined sidewalls of the bag.

2. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 1, wherein a plurality of hinges are provided adjacent each end of the bar. the hinges forming a plurality of minor segments adjacent each end of the bar. any of the segments being positionable transversely to the major length of the bar and being connected to the one panel, whereby the width of the defined sidewalls of the bag may be varied by increasing or decreasing the number of segments which are bent relative to the major length of the bar.

3. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 1, wherein the hinges are molded in one piece with the bar, the hinges being formed by a vertical groove extending into the bar to decrease the thickness thereof at the hinges, the plastic material of which the bar is constructed being an elastomer whereby the segments may be positioned transversely to the major length of the bar by bending the bar at the hinges, thus causing the vertical lines of decreased thickness to flex.

4. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 1, wherein the means interconnecting the bottom edges of the panels is a bottom structure which squares off automatically when the bag is filled.

5. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 4, wherein the means interconnecting the bottom edges of the panels constitutes a gusset of inverted V-shape with the apex thereof extending into the bag between the panels when the 6 bag is empty,

6. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 5. wherein the side edges of the gusset are connected to one another and to the adjacent portions of the side edges of the front and back panels, adjacent the bottoms of the panels.

7. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 1. wherein a second tote handle means is provided identical to the first tote handle means and identically connected to the other panel of the bag.

8. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 2, wherein a second tote handle means is provided identical to the first tote handle means and identically connected to the other panel of the bag.

9. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 3, wherein a second tote handle means is provided identical with the first tote handle means and identically connected to the other panel of the bag'.

10. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 4, wherein a second tote handle means is provided identical with the first tote handle means and identically connected to the other panel of the bag.

1 l. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 9, wherein both tote handle means and the front and back panels of the bag are formed of compatible thermoplastic materials and wherein the connections between the bars and the panels are heat welded. 

1. A flat carry bag comprising coextensive front and back panels with side edges directly interconnected at the sides of the bag so that the bag, when empty, may have said panels in face-to-face contact across the full width and for substantially the full length of the bag, said panels being formed of sheets of flexible synthetic plastic film, means interconnecting the bottom edges of said panels, said bag further including tote handle means for suspending the panels in an elevated position when carrying the bag, said tote handle means including an inverted bail and a substantially horizontal bar, said bar being formed of plastic material, the bar being of a length approximating the full width of one panel, the bail being centrally positioned along the bar, the bar being connected to one of the panels adjacent the upper edge thereof, the bar further including means for forming defined sidewalls for the bag when the bag is opened and the panels are suspended, said means when actuated causing side portions of the one panel adjacent the side edges thereof to extend in a direction transverse to the remainder of the one panel to thus form the defined sidewalls, said sidewall forming means including hinges on the bar, said hinges being pivoted about vertical axes, the hinges being spaced inwardly from the ends of the bar, the hinges dividing the bar in to minor segments, said segments being positioned between the ends of the bar and the hinges, side portions of the one panel adjacent the upper edge thereof being connected to the segments, the segments and panel portions being positionable transverse to the major length of the bar by pivoting the segments about the hinges, whereby the segments serve to bend portions of the one panel to form the defined sidewalls of the bag.
 2. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 1, wherein a plurality of hinges are provided adjacent each end of the bar, the hinges forming a plurality of minor segments adjacent each end of the bar, any of the segments being positionable transversely to the major length of the bar and being connected to the one panel, whereby the width of the defined sidewalls of the bag may be varied by increasing or decreasing the number of segments which are bent relative to the major length of the bar.
 3. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 1, wherein the hinges are molded in one piece with the bar, the hinges being formed by a vertical groove extending into the bar to decrease the thickness thereof at the hinges, the plastic material of which the bar is constructed being an elastomer whereby the segments may be positioned transversely to the major length of the bar by bending the bar at the hinges, thus causing the vertical lines of decreased thickness to flex.
 4. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 1, wherein the means interconnecting the bottom edges of the panels is a bottom structure which squares off automatically when the bag is filled.
 5. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 4, wherein the means interconnecting the bottom edges of the panels constitutes a gusset of inverted V-shape with the apex thereof extending into the bag between the panels when the bag is empty.
 6. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 5, wherein the side edges of the gusset are connected to one another and to the adjacent portions of the side edges of the front and back panels, adjacent the bottoms of the panels.
 7. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 1, wherein a second tote handle means is provided identical to the first tote handle means and identically connected to the other panel of the bag.
 8. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 2, wherein a second tote handle means is provided identical to the first tOte handle means and identically connected to the other panel of the bag.
 9. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 3, wherein a second tote handle means is provided identical with the first tote handle means and identically connected to the other panel of the bag.
 10. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 4, wherein a second tote handle means is provided identical with the first tote handle means and identically connected to the other panel of the bag.
 11. A flat carry bag constructed in accordance with claim 9, wherein both tote handle means and the front and back panels of the bag are formed of compatible thermoplastic materials and wherein the connections between the bars and the panels are heat welded. 